Top box with a thread cutter for knitting machines



y 6, 1952 E. VOSSEN 2,595,998

TOP BOX WITH A THREAD CUTTER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 29, 1950 INVENTOR EDWARD VOSSEN ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1952 TOP BOX WITH A THREAD CUTTER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Edward Vossen, Lynbrook, N. Y., assignor to Stop- Motion Devices Corp., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 29, 1950, Serial No. 198,088

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in top boxes (knot and end-detectors) having thread cutters for knitting machines.

When spring needle knitting machines are equipped with stop motions it is necessary that a thread cutter be provided for each of the threads of each of the feeds of the machine to cut the thread to the feed involved in the stopping operation in order to prevent the thread from being drawn into the needles when the feed is out of operation. This invention particularly proposes that the thread cutters to the feeds be associated with the top boxes of the threads to the feeds. Particularly, the advantage of so locating the cutter resides in the fact that the construction may be exceptionally simple and efiicient in operation.

Specifically, it is proposed to provide a knife position a short distance beneath the thread guiding fingers of the usual depressible horizontal pivoted arm of a top box so that when a pull develops in the thread guided over the fingers the arm pivots downwards and the thread engages against the knife and so becomes cut.

A novel and simple means is proposed for attaching the knife to the top box in proper position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a construction which permits the knife to be secured in various sloping positions to effectively cut the thread which is moved against it.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means by which the knife may be adjusted in a vertical position so that it may be properly spaced from the thread guiding fingers of the top box.

Another object of this invention resides in providing a suitable bracket for holding the knife. and in using a razor blade mounted in the bracket for the knife required in this thread cutter.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a top box (knot and end detector) with a thread cutter constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1 looking from the right hand end.

The top box provided with a thread cutter, in accordance with this invention, includes a top box (knot and end detector) 10 having a depressible horizontal pivoted arm I I provided with thread guiding fingers I2 which pivots downwards when a pull develops in a thread l3 guided over said fingers [2. A knife i4 is positioned a short distance beneath the fingers l2 and ex, tends longitudinally of said fingers It. This knife [4 is secured in position with certain attaching means which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The top box It) is illustrated supported by a bracket l5 which in turn is supported upon the top of a supporting tube 16. The top box 10 is also provided with the usual feeler arm. I! over which the thread l3 extends and which is adapted to move upwards to actuate the top box should the end of the thread 13 pass the feeler arm ll. It is believed that sufficient details have now been given of the top box IO- so that the invention claimed herein may be properly understood.

The means for attaching the knife M to the top box l0 includes a bracket l8 supporting the knife l4 and attached by a screw and. nut [9 to a plate 29 which in turn is attached by a screw 2| to the side of the top box [0. The bracket l8 comprises merely a sheet of metal which is bent at the bottom 22 into U-shape. The top arms of this U-shape engage against the sides of the knife I4 and holdfthe knife clamped in position. The plate 2 ii is provided with a vertical slot 23 through which the screw 2! passes and by which the plate 20 may be adjusted to various vertical positions so as to adjust the knife I 4 to a selected distance beneath the fingers l2. The bolt and nut l9 serve to pivotally support the bracket I8 in order that the bracket l8 may be pivoted to various selected positions to vary the degree of sloping of the cutting edge of the knife I14. The knife I4 is arranged to slope downwards towards the rear end of the arm H in order that the thread I3 is caused to travel downwards along the edge of the knife I4 as it is pulled down at substantially the inclination illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing for eificient severing or cutting. The knife I4 is in the nature of a razor blade.

The operation of the new top box with the thread cutter may be understood from the following:

When a pull develops upon the thread it which causes the horizontal arm H to pivot downwards to actuate the top box it for stonpinz the knitting machine, the thread I3. will engage the knife l4 and become severed or out so as to prevent a large amount of thread from being drawn into the knitting machine while the feed of the knitting machine is out of operation. The knife It may be properly adjusted to a suitable sloping position by pivoting the bracket 18 about the screw and nut [9 which frictionally holds the bracket i8 in its adjusted position. The plate 20 may be adjusted vertically upwards and downwards by first loosening the screw 2|, in order that the knife 14 may be properly positioned beneath the arm H for the proper cutting of the thread as required. 7

While I have illustrated and described th preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured by United States Letters Patent is: a

1. A top box with a thread cutter for a knitting machine, comprising a top box having a depressible horizontal pivoted arm with thread guiding fingers which pivots downwards when a pull develops in a thread guided over said fingers, a knife positioned a short distance beneath said fingers and extending longitudinally of. said fingers, and means for attaching said knife to said top box in its said position.

2. A top box as defined in claim 1, in which the cutting edge of said knife slopes downwards towards the back of said arm.

3. A top box as defined in claim 2, in which said means is adjustable for varying the degree of slope of said cutting edge.

4. A top box as defined in claim 1, in which said means is adjustable in a vertical direction for positioning said knife in selected positions beneath said fingers.

5. A top box as defined in claim 1, in which said knife is a razor blade.

6. A top box as defined in claim 5, in which said means includes a U-shaped bracket holding said razor blade.

'7. A top box as defined in claim 1, in which said means comprises a plate with a slot, a screw engaging through said slot and mounted on said top box for clamping said plate in adjusted positions on said top box, a bracket for supporting said knife, and a screw attaching said bracket to said plate in order that said bracket may be pivotally adjusted about said last named screw as an axis for adjusting said knife to a slight-downwardly sloping position.

EDWARD VOSSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wachsman et a1. Aug. 8, 1939 

